Arcophobia
acrophobia
/ˌakrəˈfəʊbɪə/
noun
- extreme or irrational fear of heights.
The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoran (and the 5 other monasteries close by) were the reason we drove all the way from Athens. The monasteries, and the rock formations on which the monasteries were built, were mind-boggling to behold from a distance. On close inspection (i.e. actually in the monasteries) I (Jim) got a real jolt of acrophobia. I cannot remember ever before feeling vertigo and nausea from being so high and on the edge of an abyss.
Apparently the memory is unpleasant enough that Jim suggests I (Ralph) take over the writing of this entry, so here goes: The combination of the buildings and their settings is unique and otherworldly. No photos were allowed in the churches on top, but both of us were awed by the 14th century chapel of the monastery pictured above - it was serenely beautiful and peaceful.
Photos were allowed of other buildings around the churches, however, and we were of course interested in the wine production facilities
Apparently the memory is unpleasant enough that Jim suggests I (Ralph) take over the writing of this entry, so here goes: The combination of the buildings and their settings is unique and otherworldly. No photos were allowed in the churches on top, but both of us were awed by the 14th century chapel of the monastery pictured above - it was serenely beautiful and peaceful.
Photos were allowed of other buildings around the churches, however, and we were of course interested in the wine production facilities
and the Ossuary
where the skulls of the monks from the last few centuries are apparently collected. (After they fell over the cliff, I joked. Jim was not amused).
We also witnessed a delivery of goods
Our friend Tom, ever the wag, opined that this guy deserves a big tip!
Upon leaving Meteora I was struck with a sudden fever, which of course concerned both of us. We headed toward a medical facility but fortunately by the time we arrived the worst was over and we did not need to investigate the Greek medical system. But we did scrap our plans (hiking through a gorge and exploring Olympia) and headed closer to Athens, where we were blessed to find an excellent quiet small hotel in the hills. I spent the entire next day prone beneath an umbrella in this lovely setting
while Jim struck off to ancient Mycenae to view the famous Lion Gate (another of the treasures he learned about in Classics 17A, freshman year at Berkeley 55 years ago!)
I felt fully recovered after my day off, and today we headed to another ancient site nearby. Epidaurus was a center of healing, where folks from all over came to make offerings to Asklepios, the god of medicine, and take the cure. Here's one ancient remedy carved into the side of a building:
For those of you who cannot read ancient Greek but do feel in need of some healing, here's a translation:
Epidaurus is also the site of a famous ancient theater, where plays are still performed. Here's Jim center stage:
One last word on Greece. In every conversation we've had with a Greek person, the subject of The Crisis has come up. I suggested to our cab driver on the way in to Athens from the airport that the Greek economy was improving, right? His answer: not so much. It was not at all like before 2008, and he struggled to support his family. The woman pumping our gas along the highway had studied shipping (as in boats) at University, but was there pumping gas because "since The Crisis, this is what I can get". (And "yes, we have problems, but you do too. You have Trump.") When we talked with our waiter at the hotel about how empty it seemed in Napflion compared to our impressions from our visit 30 years ago, he said "Of course - since The Crisis it is not the same". The financial crisis was a world wide event of course. But while the richer nations have moved on, it is sobering to see that this is not the case for places like Greece.
We also witnessed a delivery of goods
Our friend Tom, ever the wag, opined that this guy deserves a big tip!
Upon leaving Meteora I was struck with a sudden fever, which of course concerned both of us. We headed toward a medical facility but fortunately by the time we arrived the worst was over and we did not need to investigate the Greek medical system. But we did scrap our plans (hiking through a gorge and exploring Olympia) and headed closer to Athens, where we were blessed to find an excellent quiet small hotel in the hills. I spent the entire next day prone beneath an umbrella in this lovely setting
while Jim struck off to ancient Mycenae to view the famous Lion Gate (another of the treasures he learned about in Classics 17A, freshman year at Berkeley 55 years ago!)
I felt fully recovered after my day off, and today we headed to another ancient site nearby. Epidaurus was a center of healing, where folks from all over came to make offerings to Asklepios, the god of medicine, and take the cure. Here's one ancient remedy carved into the side of a building:
Epidaurus is also the site of a famous ancient theater, where plays are still performed. Here's Jim center stage:
One last word on Greece. In every conversation we've had with a Greek person, the subject of The Crisis has come up. I suggested to our cab driver on the way in to Athens from the airport that the Greek economy was improving, right? His answer: not so much. It was not at all like before 2008, and he struggled to support his family. The woman pumping our gas along the highway had studied shipping (as in boats) at University, but was there pumping gas because "since The Crisis, this is what I can get". (And "yes, we have problems, but you do too. You have Trump.") When we talked with our waiter at the hotel about how empty it seemed in Napflion compared to our impressions from our visit 30 years ago, he said "Of course - since The Crisis it is not the same". The financial crisis was a world wide event of course. But while the richer nations have moved on, it is sobering to see that this is not the case for places like Greece.
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